SALEM — WinnCompanies has applied to the Salem Planning Board for approval to build a transit-oriented, mixed-income, 120-unit apartment community near the MBTA station.
The proposed building named The Exchange Salem represents Phase One of a larger development project in northern downtown. The project originated with a request for proposals (RFP) issued by the Salem Redevelopment Authority (SRA) in 2019, following intensive community planning efforts based on the SRA’s Urban Renewal Plan and the Imagine Salem community visioning plan.
The SRA selected a team led by WinnDevelopment, the development arm of WinnCompanies, as its preferred development partner.
“The adaptive reuse of the courthouse buildings and the construction of new mixed-income housing will advance the city’s longstanding goal to redevelop this area in a way that brings activity, connection and accessibility to the northern end of downtown,” said Tom Daniel, executive director of the SRA. “We are very pleased to work with WinnCompanies to move this project forward.”
The Exchange Salem would be built in place of the municipal parking lot at 252 Bridge St. Renovation, and the rehabilitation of the historic Salem Superior Courthouse at 32 Federal St. and County Commissioner building at 34 Federal St., would be the second phase of the project.
“This transformative project will deliver much needed, transit-oriented, mixed-income rental housing that reflects the city’s goals to create more affordable and workforce housing in this area, enhances the public realm and strengthens the connection between North Salem and the city’s core,” said Ramie Schneider, senior project director for WinnDevelopment.
About one half of the 120 apartments at The Exchange Salem would be considered affordable housing, while the remaining units would be rented at workforce and market rates. Most of the apartments would be studio and one-bedroom apartments, with some two-bedroom units.
Each unit will be designed with modern finishes and features and will include in-unit laundry. There will be a gated 55-car garage at the base of the building. Residents will also be able to secure parking passes at the nearby city-owned parking garage.
The application for The Exchange Salem starts the permitting process for the overall development. Permitting for the two historic buildings will begin later this year.
“We have enjoyed working collaboratively with the SRA and the community during the past year, and we look forward to continuing this constructive partnership with the Planning Board in the months to come,” said Schneider.
The Planning Board submission comes one year after the development concept was first introduced to a joint meeting of the Salem City Council and the SRA. The development team has hosted and participated in numerous meetings with the SRA’s Design Review Board and neighborhood groups since then to incorporate community feedback and ideas into the proposal.
The Planning Board expects to hold the first meeting on the project this June.
In addition to WinnDevelopment, The Exchange Salem project design and implementation team includes the Salem law firm of Correnti & Darling; Attorney Deirdre Robinson of the Boston-based law firm Robinson+Cole; the Lawrence-based architectural firm Cube3; VHB, a civil and transportation engineering firm based in Watertown; Odeh Engineering, a Boston-based structural engineering firm; Landworks Studio, a Salem-based landscape architectural firm; Wozney Barbar & Associates, a mechanical engineering firm based in Hanover; and Public Archeological Laboratory (PAL) of Pawtucket, RI.
WinnCompanies was founded in Boston in 1971. The company currently operates in 23 states and the District of Columbia, employing 3,600 team members.
WinnCompanies owns 120 apartment communities in 11 states and the District of Columbia and manages 103,000 residential and privatized U.S. military apartments.
Alena Kuzub can be reached at [email protected].
